.
Ending Gambling Sponsorship in the Premier League: Government Must Step In
The Premier League has taken voluntary measures to reduce gambling advertising, but recent sponsorship deals with three clubs have prompted a campaign group to call on the UK government to intervene.
Burnley and Fulham have signed one-year deals with W88 and SBOTOP respectively, while Aston Villa have a three-year deal with BK8. The Big Step campaign group has called these partnerships “short-sighted” and said the government must now step in to end these deals.
What Are the Current Gambling Sponsorship Deals?
W88 has previously sponsored Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers as well as Fulham last season, while SBOTOP has had a commercial partnership with Leeds over several seasons. Last season Villa were sponsored by car sales firm Cazoo while Burnley were sponsored by Classic Football Shirts.
Fulham said their record sponsorship deal with SBOTOP will play “an integral part in keeping the club competitive” with Burnley adding that the revenue they receive would help the club “compete in the Premier League”. Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust said it was “highly disappointed” after the Midlands club announced a sponsorship deal with Asia-based BK8.
In 2021, Norwich cancelled a sponsorship deal with the same firm because of its provocative marketing material. During the 2022-23 season, eight Premier League clubs had gambling companies on the front of their shirts, worth an estimated £60m per year.
What Are the Plans to End Gambling Sponsorship?
As part of the decision to end gambling sponsorship on the front of shirts, clubs will still be able to continue featuring gambling brands in areas such as shirt sleeves and LED advertising after 2026. In April, Premier League clubs agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorships on the front of matchday shirts by the end of the 2025-26 season.
In response to Big Step’s statement, the Premier League told BBC Sport that it is the first sports league in the UK to take voluntarily measures in order to reduce gambling advertising and said all gambling partners of clubs are already regulated and licensed by the Gambling Commission and are bound by the rules of the Advertising Standards Authority.
Conclusion
The Premier League has taken steps to reduce gambling advertising, but recent sponsorship deals with three clubs have prompted a campaign group to call on the UK government to intervene. The Big Step campaign group has called these partnerships “short-sighted” and said the government must now step in to end these deals. Clubs will still be able to continue featuring gambling brands in areas such as shirt sleeves and LED advertising after 2026, but it remains to be seen if this will be enough to satisfy campaigners.